Our Heritage. . .
Lewis-Clark State College was born of a pioneer era, deeply rooted in the spirit of discovery and exploration that sent captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark through uncharted territory in 1804. Appropriately, the college adopted the theme of Tradition, Discovery and Innovation to celebrate its centennial in 1993 -- a reflection on the past, present and future.

In a sense, LCSC's history might be likened to the Lewis and Clark expedition. Its history is filled with discoveries, hardships and challenges, failures and triumphs, new relationships and lasting friendships, support in times of need and rejoicing in times of success. It took the crafting of a new history book by Keith C. Petersen "Educating in the American West: One-Hundred Years at Lewis-Clark State College," to capture the essence of this complex and dynamic institution. Here, in less vivid form, are significant milestones in the college's history.

Infancy. . .
The Idaho Legislature of 1893 created a normal school in name, but failed to appropriate state funds to provide it with a permanent home. As was typical of that era and the century that followed, the citizens of Lewiston responded with open hearts.

The City of Lewiston donated 10 acres on a barren, sandy hill overlooking its sparse business district from the south to serve as the school's embryo. Soon to bear the name of "Normal Hill" after the mission of its principal occupant, the hill had no city services, no luxury of lights, electricity or water. What it had, however, was potential.

Absent of state funding, the school finally received authority from the legislature to use some of its federal land-grant proceeds to hire an architectural firm from Spokane and begin designing its first building. Blueprints were expected to take form in a completed administration building/classroom by 1894... Again, ambition seemed to run a distance ahead of reality.

Proceeds from the land grant sales were slower than anticipated, a reflection of the stagnant economy. Fearing that its initial work would die a quiet and untimely death, the first construction company from Spokane abandoned the project. Excavation and foundation work turned dormant.

The vision failed to stagnate, however. In 1895, the legislature issued bonds to complete the first building on campus, and a new contractor was secured to pick up where its predecessor left off. Construction delays, common even around the turn of the century, tested the resolve of new LSNS President George Knepper to open the school he'd been hired to pioneer.

In the absence of a permanent home for his fledgling school, Knepper contacted local businessmen to arrange for private, temporary quarters on the second floor of a building in the heart of Lewiston's business district. With carpenters and masons laboring on the hill above them, 46 students assembled to become the first class of Lewiston State Normal School on Jan. 6, 1896.

Almost six months later, with the sound of cannon fire echoing from the surrounding hills and a procession of townspeople and dignitaries, Lewiston State Normal School and the community of Lewiston celebrated the completion of its first building. The survivor of a disastrous 1917 fire, reconstruction, changes in function, and a major 1993 renovation, that building still stands -- the oldest one still used in the state's higher education system. Named after the man whose vision and relentless lobbying for a college in Lewiston, James W. Reid Centennial Hall now is the center for student services and contains model computer classrooms and labs, as well as offices and traditional classrooms.

Adolescence. . .
The primary mission of the new college was to prepare teachers for serving in the region's many one-room, rural schools. Growth, in terms of students and programs, continued steadily, prompting the Idaho State Board of Education to expand the college's role in 1943 to a four-year institution. At the same time it authorized the awarding of the bachelor of arts degree in education. Reflecting that expanded function, the state legislature changed the institution's name to Northern Idaho College of Education in 1947.

Concern over enrollments and Idaho finances following the outbreak of the Korean War, mixed with political maneuvering, led to the closure of NICE and Southern Idaho College of Education at Albion in 1951. The legislature reopened the Lewiston college in 1955 under the new name of Lewis-Clark Normal School.  However, its southern Idaho sibling remained closed permanently. After reopening, LCNS operated as a branch of the University of Idaho, still holding to the charge of preparing elementary school teachers. In 1963, the legislature restored the college's autonomy and returned its status as an independent, four-year undergraduate institution with a unique niche in the state's higher education system.

Idaho law defined the purposes of Lewis-Clark Normal School to be the "offering and giving of instruction in four-year courses in science, arts and literature, and such courses as are normally included in liberal arts colleges leading to the granting of the degree of bachelor."

Adulthood. . .
The State Board of Education approved a four-year curriculum in education and liberal arts and established Lewis-Clark State College as one of its six postsecondary vocational schools in 1965. The practical and associate degree nursing programs were instituted the same year. In 1971, the legislature changed the name of the college to Lewis-Clark State College, reflecting its expanded mission and maintaining its historical roots based on the expedition by Lewis and Clark. At the time of its latest name transition, the college held the distinction of being the last "Normal" college in the nation.

LCSC received regional accreditation as a four-year degree-granting institution in 1973 and was re-accredited for a 10-year periods in 1978 and 1988. It had been accredited as a two-year college from the time it was separated from the University of Idaho.

The nursing program was accredited by the National League for Nursing in 1970 and was reaccredited in 1979 and 1987. The teacher education program was accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education in 1976 and again in 1980 and 1990. Each current teacher education program also is accredited by the Idaho Professional Standards Commission pursuant to the 1979 revised standards of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification.

The State Board of Education reaffirmed the role of Lewis-Clark State College in October 1973, with a continued emphasis on serving undergraduate students in the areas of liberal arts, sciences and education, and providing a strong vocational-technical program. The board revised the role in march 1983 to add responsibilities as "a regional undergraduate institution offering an alternative learning environment to site- and time-bound students throughout the region.

Today, LCSC offers liberal arts and sciences, professional programs in education, nursing, business and criminal justice, and technical programs. The School of Technology was granted authority in 1993 to introduce four-year baccalaureate degree programs in technology -- the Bachelor's of Applied Technology and Bachelor's of Applied Science -- reflecting the growing demands for a highly skilled technical workforce.

Outreach programs in a variety of fields constitute a distinct mission for the college, under the auspices of the Division of Extended Programs and Community Development. The college operates outreach centers in Coeur d'Alene, Orofino and Grangeville, and offers courses and programs in a variety of alternative formats to students from Sandpoint to Grangeville. Through a five-year federal grant that began in 1993, the college has begun expanding educational opportunities to residents of rural communities and to others who are site-bound or time-bound. Creation of the Integrated Learning Network as part of that federal Title III grant has extended access to college programs throughout the state.

Through more than a century of growth and maturity, LCSC has remained faithful to the pioneering spirit of its namesakes, Lewis and Clark, and its clear mandate to provide a balanced, comprehensive education.

Evolution of Name
1893--Lewiston State Normal School (LSNS)
1947--North Idaho College of Education (NICE)
1955--Lewis-Clark Normal School (LCNS)
1971--Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC)

Administrative Leaders
1895 to 1903--George Knepper
1903 to 1915--George H. Black
1915 to 1925--Oliver M. Elliott
1925 to 1941--John E. Turner
1941 to 1951--Glenn W. Todd
1955 to 1957-- Dr. H. Walter Steffens (executive dean under University of Idaho)
1957 to 1963--Cleon C. Caldwell (executive dean under University of Idaho)
1963 to1968--Wayne Sims
1968 to 1978--Jerold D. Dugger
1978 to 1994--Dr. Lee A. Vickers
1994 to 1995--Dr. Michael Glenn (interim president)
1995 to 2000--Dr. James W. Hottois
2000 to 2001--Dr. Niel T. Zimmerman (interim president)
2001 to 2010--Dr. Dene Kay Thomas
2010-present--Dr. J. Anthony (Tony) Fernandez